Ultracentrifuges are used for the separation of the components of gaseous mixtures when the components have specific gravities differing from each other by only a small degree.
Conventionally, an ultracentrifuge comprises a rotor formed by a hollow cylindrical wall having opposite ends provided with end covers, the rotor being operated in a vacuum because it must be rotated at speeds ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 rpm. One of the end covers has a central hole through which a non-rotative tube projects into the interior of the rotor with its inner end mounting a non-rotative array of gas inlets and outlets appropriately arranged to introduce the mixture of gaseous components and to provide outlets for the centrifugally separated components, the two containing non-rotative pipes so that outside of the rotor the gaseous mixture can be fed into the rotor and the separated components removed from the rotor.
These non-rotative parts inside of the rotor operating at its necessarily very high rotative speeds, have been found to have a tendency to vibrate, possibly at their resonance frequency, thus involving the serious risk of an accident, particularly when the rotor is accelerating or decelerating through its critical speeds. In addition, what would otherwise be natural gas flows within the rotating rotor, are made impossible or at least greatly retarded by the non-rotative or stationary parts inside of the rotor.
In other words, with the conventional construction the operation of an ultracentrifuge involves the problems of a possible centrifugally-induced rotor explosion, and impedance of the desired centrifugal separation of the gaseous components of the mixture being processed.